Thea's Song
by flashrider
Summary: This is a story about Thea, her mysterious past, amazing powers and her adventures with Prince Roald's son and his other knighted friends
1. Prologue

PROLOUGE

The little girl looked around the corner of the dirty tunnel. No one was there. She should have known that there was nothing to be afraid of; no one is ever there. At least not in the real world, if this is the real world. The girl carried her sack (practically dragging it for it was so heavy) with here clothes and stolen jewels.  
I need to get out of this place, she thought. These aren't very nice people, these people who call me daughter and sister and cousin. I hear them talking. I know I am not theirs, I don't belong here. For 2 years now I have put up with these not real people. They told me when I woke up that I had been sick all my first 4 years and that now I am getting better. They told me my name is not Hailey like I thought but it was Miranda. The people I knew where all just in my head.  
Even though the girl believed every word she had been told at the age of four, she never forgot the love she had felt in her dreams. And now at the age of six she wanted to go find that love, even though she knew it wasn't real. For two years it had been beaten out of her.  
Now she was free no one was coming to stop her. She got out of the tunnel and into the woods. The keeper of the grounds at the big castle had taught her a lot about surviving out there, In the dark scary woods. Not that he meant to though, he though her to young to be able to learn such things, he didn't even know she really paid attention to what he said in the last year. He didn't know she would do anything to get away, even runaway at the age of 6. Time for a new place and new name...again and maybe just maybe for the last time  
  
11 YEARS LATER......


	2. Assassination Attempt

Disclaim: I do not own any of the characters in here that are in any Tamora P. Books

Assassination Attempt

Thea smiled down at the small peasant girl who had just sung for her, and  
asked  
"What's your name?"  
"Lila"  
"Well Lila you have a very pretty voice". The little girl blushed and giggled with delight as her mother approached.  
"Lila? You aren't bothering Thea now are you?  
"No mama, I singed for her!"  
"Hello Mrs.Pettycomb it's nice to see you, your daughter is such a  
delight."  
"That she is! Well Lila we have to go join your father now tell Thea  
goodbye.  
"Bah bye Thea"  
Thea waved and her smile faded and a look of longing entered her eyes, which where frequently changing with her moods. They are normally gold but  
they now were brown. Stop it, she chided herself, Lila deserves her happiness and loving family.  
Another inner voice asked, and you don't? Before her inner selves could continue a horn sounded in the distance and a cheer raised through the crowd. All the towns' people were crowded into the square. This was the last stop of the king's progress. He would be staying at the Manor here for a couple weeks before taking the five-day ride back  
to the Palace. The horn sounded again, the King's party was on its way. Thea sighed she was not looking forward to sharing the medium sized town of  
Dragon's Box with a bunch of strange soldiers and rich snobs, whom Thea definitely did not like, not that she wasn't a loyal Tortallian citizen. Thea watched as the king's party traveled like a snake down the hill into the town. That is a lot of people, thought Thea. The king's wagon reached the beginning of the crowd, and that's when Thea felt it. The danger, her neck hairs stood up and her eyes changed to a soft yellow of alertness. She saw them, the four archers with arrows pointing at the king, queen, prince Roald, and Princess Shinko. The guards didn't notice. There was glamour in front of them but Thea was  
sitting in a tree behind it and could see it clearly. The arrows were  
released! Thea did the first thing she could. She leaped of her perch and flipped in the air and grabbed the arrow as she had practiced so many times with Pete.  
When she landed the glamour went down and the crowd silenced when they figured out what just went on. The king stood up and the gaurds gathered around him. They were searching for the archers who had blended in with the  
crowd when their plan failed. All At once everyone turned to her as she  
walked to the front of the crowd. "It's a nice day is it not?" She asked the most important looking guard. A mid-50 year-old small knight with gray streaked red hair. The knight nodded mutedly. Thea continued, "A nice warm day for autumn, so tell me why are there four men in this crowd with big winter cloaks on?" With that hint all the knights surrounding the King scanned the crowd. The four perpetrators knew they had been spotted and tried to run. But the weren't fast enough  
for the guards. Thea watched as three men and a girl on horses came from behind the guard making their way to the king. Two were knights and the woman and other man were squires. Thea looked at one of the knights and gasped. He was the most handsome man Thea had seen in a long time. He looked so much like the king  
and prince Roald that he could only be Roald's son, Price Jason. Thea  
quickly snapped out her trance and averted her gaze from his stare. She  
looked a the girl in the squires uniform with the colors of the other knight. Thea stared her eyes gray with surpise. The girl felt her gaze and  
looked at her and gasped. The girl said absolutely shocked "Thea?"  
Thea smiled, turned and ran.


	3. Gabi's Story

Gabi's Story Squire Gabi was steered into a chair still in shock. Prince Jason, Sir Lance (her knight-master) and Squire Dylan (one of her year-mates) all sat down next to her. Everyone in the room (they were in a sitting room in the Manor) went silent and stared at her. King Jonathan, Queen Thayet, Jason's Parents, The Lioness and other living legend knights from the Lioness's generation where gathered around her.  
  
"Alright spit it out Gabs who is she? You called her what, Thea?" Lance asked "And how do you know her?" asked the Prince. "Quiet you people and let the girl talk" the queen commanded.  
  
Gabi finally came out of her daze and looked around at the expectant faces of her friends and elders. She got started. "There isn't much to tell, Thea and I used to be good friends when we were eight. I haven't seen her in years." Gabi stopped there hoping that would be enough to appease their curiosity. It wasn't.  
  
"If that was the whole story you wouldn't be so shocked to see her. Now what happened?" it was a command from the king. Gabi couldn't ignore the king  
  
"Not much happened, but as you know this is my uncles house, I used to liver here because my parents like to travel. One evening I was out in the town alone because Thea had been sick for a while. To make a long story short a man attacked me and I got pretty beat-up, then Thea showed up and knocked him on the head with a rock, he wasn't knocked out so she told me to run and I did. My parents where visiting and they got me to a healer just in time, and a fortnight later they took me out of here to Corus where I decided to go for my shield." When Gabi went silent her knight master asked, "What happened to Thea, She obviously wasn't killed".  
  
"That's just it I never knew what happen to her, in the days I was still here after the attack she never came to visit me and I wasn't aloud back in the town, my parents wouldn't let me, and besides I didn't know where she lived, she never told me, So for the past nine years I have assumed she was killed."  
  
Prince Jason lay awake in bed that night wondering about this mysterious Thea who saved the lives of his grandparents and parent when no one else knew they had to be saved. There was something about her that just "sings". Literally, when she walked and talked, it all sounded like music. Jason pictured her in his mind. She was beautiful, her long brown hair in two braids one on each side of her head. The most striking feature about her is her eyes; Jason had never seen eyes change so drastically from a very interesting yellow to a hard shocking gray. As he found himself getting tired he thought, I don't think that is going to be my last encounter this amazing creature that catches arrows while flipping through the air, at least I hope it's not. 


	4. How It Started

** How it Started  
**  
Thea sighed with relief as she crossed over into the "Forbidden Territory", a supposedly cursed part of the forest. There were few people besides Thea who knew it wasn't cursed. Thea along with everyone else had heard the stories of this place. Over a half a century ago this part of the forest used to be a fief. There was a mysterious massacre and no one knew what had caused it. No one in the town or manor had survived. When Thea had first come here she had not known of the legend and walked past the warning signs because at the age of seven she had not known how to read.  
  
The little Thea had walked through the man less land for what seemed like days until she came to what was left of the old town and manor. It was in ruins, the new fief had been rebuilt a half a days ride away to what was now Dragon's Box. Thea remembered walking through the completely deserted place that was full of dust and decay. Humans had not touched it for over 50 years. Not even bandits trespassed into the "Forbidden Territory".  
  
Thea had gone into the ruins of the old manor and found a small useable room in which she decided to live for a while. She stayed there; to scared to leave this protective place, she didn't want this feeling of security to leave after not having felt anything like it in years. When she got up her courage (and was to tired of having what little game her traps caught did she venture out back into the human world). She walked the long distance to Dragon's Box to get food with the money she had left over from selling her rich clothes (she had started to where peasants clothes when she caught ride with a traveling caravan, after running away, to blend in). Thea had not wanted to use the jewels that she had stolen from her so- called family to buy food, she was saving them.  
  
At the town is where her life all began to come together. She began to feel at home. First she met Pete. He was a mid-thirty year old shopkeeper who she bought food from. He was the first to befriend the lonely little mysterious girl who suddenly appeared in the town. Thea would go to his shop at least four times every moon cycle. It had been in his shop that she decided on the name Thea for herself, because she had overheard him saying that had been his mother's name. Pete would always ask things she couldn't answer like "where and who are your parents" and "where do you come from?" Thea would just smile and change the subject and he never pushed for an answer. It wasn't until her first winter there that he learned where she lived. One day she came to his shop and she was sick with a cold and mild fever. Pete paid for a healer and gave her a free meal and told her to go home and rest. It was snowing and she was tired so she wasn't careful, she usually made sure no one followed her. It wasn't until she got into her room that she heard the footsteps. Pete had closed the shop down early and followed her even when he got to the "Forbidden Territory" he didn't stop. He was worried about her. When he saw that she lived alone he offered her a place to live and she could help him out in the shop. He had room because his wife and daughter had died the last winter from a fever.  
  
Thea wanted to have the company of someone but she wasn't ready to leave the place that had given her protection for the past 5 moons. So Pete did the only thing he could. He moved to where she was. That was almost 10 years ago. Things had gone on from there. Slowly together they rebuilt the manor until it was bigger and more beautiful than Dragon Box's manor. It took them about four years to complete. Thea used a lot of her jewels for the wood and stone they needed. Pete had closed his shop down and just sold the crops he planted in the fields every market day. After the manor was done they got to work on the village even though they new no one would live there because of the belief of a curse. They took down the houses and built more sturdy ones, they also cleared out a bigger field so they could have more crops.  
  
Thea thought back on those times with Pete, the man who had become the closest thing to a father she would ever have. Thea could only remember two delays in the rebuilding of the place that became known as the Forbidden fortress. The first was Gabi. Thea remembered Gabi perfectly. She had been Thea's first friend her own age. They had so much fun; they would do everything together, though Thea never told Gabi of her past. At the time Thea had not yet even told Pete the full story, she told him when she was about 10 years old. It took that long to trust Pete completely, she hadn't wanted to be sent back. When Gabi was attacked by the drunken man and then never came back to the town Thea had always believed she had died. That was the reason she had asked Pete to teach her how to fight. Now to find out Gabi was alive was quite a shock.  
  
The second delay in the rebuilding came in the form of bandits. It was when they had just about finished with the first few houses in the village. Thea was about 12 and knew a lot about fighting by then. A small gang of them saw Thea and Pete enter the "Forbidden Territory" and also saw them leave safely. The bandits decided to check out what kind of treasure might be hidden in there. The bandits had just got thrown out of their town homeless and had to steal for a living. When they found the new Manor and town they got more than they ever thought possible. Pete offered to give them and their families' homes if they worked in the fields and manor. They accepted and Thea and Pete's small town had about seven families in residence and they had become loyal to Pete and Thea, and were ever since.  
  
Over the years there small town soon grew and prospered yet it was still hidden and safe. Just the way Thea liked it. She now had a wonderful father figure and lots and friends, more than she ever expected to have when she ran away from her home eleven years ago. Pete was the only one who knew her past and she was the only one who knew his. When she asked Pete to teach her to fight if he knew how, she got more than she bargained for. He taught her hand-to-hand combat, weapon fighting with knives, swords, bows and arrows, and the lance. It was when Thea was nine and learning the sword did she bother to ask how a shopkeeper knew all this fighting. He told her reluctantly of his past. She new he had the gift but she hadn't known that it was battle magic. He had been training to be a battle mage in Scanra during the war with Tortall almost 25 years ago. He had been young, around eleven years old and his father taught him all the fighting he new. About four years into the war he saw King Maggur kill his father and he ran and escaped to Tortall to live his life as a peasant. He never lost practice in the fighting arts or with his battle magic; he actually studied to become stronger. He had planned on revenge but King Maggur died before he got his chance and then he met Maggie his wife and they moved to Dragon's Box where they settled down.  
  
Thea accepted this and learned everything she could. Pete also taught her how to read and write in many languages. He didn't have to teach her how to speak the different languages because she could understand anything that was said, this confused Pete especially when she told him it was because other languages were just like different songs and you could understand them if you listened hard enough. Pete never looked much more into her words. He just left well enough alone.  
  
Thea sighed again this time in despair, for she new she would soon have to leave her protective community and venture back out there. She promised she would sing for Minthros's Mass on holy day. That was tomorrow. Oh well at least maybe she can avoid the questioning about what happened this afternoon if she could slip away. Do you really want to Thea? You know you want to talk with Gabi and the Prince was cute! Thea almost giggled at her own folly, why was she thinking such things about a man, looks never affected her before and She have seen some very handsome fellows (though none as handsome as the Prince), and she especially shouldn't be thinking about a prince, a heir at that. Thea rode home looking forward to a hand-to- hand combat practice with Pete to get her mind off such things as handsome blue-eyed princes.

Note: I wanna thank the three reviewers for the reviews i got so....Thanks!


	5. The Song Place

** The Song Place**  
  
The next day Thea woke up with the shivers, being that it was mid- October it was always cold in the mornings. Yesterday had been a real drag, I hope today is better, Thea thought. When Thea had gotten home last night, she didn't come home to Pete, but a note saying he was out on a spidren hunt and wouldn't be back for about a week. So Thea had just ended up working out and having supper by herself then went to bed worrying about Pete. Thea hated it when he went out on a hunt without her but he always slipped away because he didn't want her around the danger without the magic to help protect her. Not for the first time did Thea wish she was battle gifted, but the only talent she had was singing.  
  
Reminded of the singing Thea hurried up and broke her fast while saddling Shadow, her always over-eager mare. There were still some hours before dawn but Thea had the long ride, and she didn't want to be late for Minthros's Mass. In the two years she had been singing in the mass on holy day, she had only missed it about ten times because she was to sick to get up. Thea usually looked forward to singing, but not today, not with everyone and their cousin going to be there. Oh well, Thea though, a promise is a promise after all. The priests had made her promise to be there to sing when the king was there.  
  
As she rode Thea wondered what the priest would want her to sing about today. She hoped it was a happy song cause she needed a happy energy charge to get her worries off Pete.  
  
Thea got to the temple early, only to be reminded that the mass was going to be on the manor lawn. This made Thea sigh with despair. She hated the manor. Baron Jeffery Barnapple was a mean, vial, and disgusting man. Everyone knew what he did to the maids in the manor. It is highly disturbing knowledge. The worst thing about it was that the town's people couldn't do anything about it. It was law in Dragon's Box that if you live there whoever the Baron wanted to have working in the manor had to work there or get thrown out of the town. The Barons son was worse so even when the Baron died the villagers would still have to try and hide their daughters. _Try_, being the key word there, thought Thea with a shiver unrelated to the cold. The Baron had once tried to make Thea "work" at the manor but being that she didn't live anywhere near Dragon's Box he couldn't make her.  
  
As Thea waited for the mass to near the end, to when she sang, she though about what she was going to sing. The Priests said it was up to her. She had no idea what to sing for a bunch of strangers, then decided to sing whatever came to mind not what she though they might like. Then Thea spotted Lila Pettycomb and decided then to sing for the children. She hadn't sung for them in a long while. After asking permission from the priests Thea went and told the people who played the music for her the song and then took out what looked like a stick from her pocket. It was her amplifier; Pete had spelled a small stick to amplify a voice like on the battlefield, so she could use it to sing with when in crowds.  
  
Thea had never sung in front of so many before but she wasn't nervous. She never was when it came to singing, because she always went to a different place when she sang. Thea called it the Song Place. When she went to this place Thea felt what she was singing, she was part of the song. When she was singing a happy song, her eyes turned that rare green that means she's happy. Only sometimes does this place fail her. For an example when Thea is really sad and tries to sing happily it comes out sounding like she is at a funeral.  
  
The priest ended the end prayer and the musicians came to the front of the crowd and sat down. The new people looked around confused but the villagers started smiling and cheering, they knew what was happening. The music started and Thea came forward and started to sing. The people from the progress gasped when the saw her, but they were soon mesmerized by the singer and her song.  
  
When the song ended and Thea came out of her peaceful song place and looked around. The whole crowd was silent and all the children had come to stand right in front of her. They all look so happy, just like I feel, thought Thea as she went up to the first child she recognized. It was Lila.  
  
"Tell me Lila, what would you like me to sing about for my last song?"  
  
Thea always sang two songs so she decided to see what one off the children wanted to hear since she was singing for them.  
  
"Umm...Butterflies!"  
  
"Okay, I'll get right on that," said Lila who was thinking of a song that had butterflies in it. But as hard as she could think, she could not find one so she decided to wing it. She told the musicians just to play some tone and she would make up the words as she goes along. She started the song:  
  
"She remembers when she first got her wings, and how she opened up, the day she learned to sing. Then the colors came, erased the black and white, and her whole world changed, when she realized... She's a butterfly, pretty as the crimson sky, Nothings gonna bring her down. And everywhere she goes, everybody knows she's so glad to be alive, She's a butterfly..............." (Song goes on)  
  
When she was done the Villagers where clapping and cheering at hearing a new song, but the other people just sat there in a daze.  
  
This is it Thea run now before they come forward to start asking you questions, run now before you have to deal with the strangers. As Thea thought this she knew she could not leave. There was someone she had to talk with. Thea's gaze searched the crowd, made eye contact with Gabi and tilted her head to the left.

Gabi got the message and looked around for a place to slip away. When Gabi looked back Thea was gone. Gabi hurried, wanting to talk with her long thought dead friend. When she got out of the billowing crowd that had just awakened from its daze. They were all looking around for Thea.  
  
Gabi started walking to the left, to the place where the eight-year-old Gabi and Thea used to meet almost everyday. When Gabi got there Thea wasn't there so she sat down at the edge of the small stream and waited. When she started wondering if maybe she had gotten the silent message wrong there was a noise behind her, a voice.  
  
"Hello, Gabi"

Thanks for the Reviews!!!Even This-is-Not-a-Flame for showing me my mistakes. Also i disclaim any charaters that belong to Tamora P. the others are mine though. Also none of the lyrics for any of the songs in here are not mine, i'm not creative enough to be a song writer.


	6. The Meeting

** The Meeting**  
  
As Gabi turned and faced Thea, Thea wondered if this was a cruel dream. Her one time friend could not really be alive and well, standing there in front of her. Could she? Finally after what seem like forever Gabi was facing Thea. They both just stood there staring, Thea's eyes were gray with surprise and wonder because she had not woken up disappointed in her bed. Gabi looked much the same as Thea remembered. She had very blond almost white hair; she had vivid blue eyes, and a stubborn jaw. She had grown up to be a classic beauty, and a tough one at that. Gabi was taller than most girls and had a strong but graceful build.  
  
"You're alive," they both whispered at the same time. When they heard each other they smiled.  
  
"So it really is you," Gabi said in awe. "Yep, me here, in the flesh, same as you I suppose" Thea replied. Gabi nodded silently  
  
"I remember how you hate to be hugged or I would uh... well hug you" Gabi said uncertainly to Thea. "You remember correctly, but I think I can make a quick expectation for you." Quickly Thea threw her arm around Gabi's much taller shoulder, in a one armed hug (Thea had been against human contact since she was 4, unless she was fighting).  
  
When Thea stepped back there were tears in both their eyes. They both laughed at their folly, and sat down on a big boulder. Gabi was the first to break the comfortable silence. "We won't have long to talk, Lance, my knight-master will be looking for me, and I can never seem to hide from him. And he'll probably bring Jason along to."  
  
"Your on first name bases with the Prince?"  
  
"Sure we hang out with the same group of friends. He became a knight the same year as Lance, we were all friends when I was a page and they were squires", Gabi said with a shrug.  
  
"I never really though of you as a knight, but it fits cause I definitely can't picture you at court as a lady" Thea said this with a laugh remembering Gabi as an energetic eight year old who climbed on (and fell off of) everything.  
  
Gabi replied "I didn't decide to become a knight until I was nine and in Corus after... well you know what it was after" Gabi went silent and Thea swallowed a lump in her throat, yes she remembered the attack.  
  
"So we both thought the other was dead all these years, it's so, so weird." Thea said to break the uncomfortable silence. Thea needn't have bothered though cause there was a shout behind them just at that moment. "GABI!!! Where the hell are you?"  
  
As footsteps pounded the ground near by, Thea heard Gabi mumble something that sounded a bit like "damn boys can't leave me alone for one second" Thea laughed and said "They can't be that bad".  
  
"Oh yes, they can", Gabi sighed and started to stand but Thea pulled her back down. "Their going to find us anyway so lets just wait here for them, besides I don't feel like getting up". At that moment Gabi remembered something Thea had once said a very long time ago- "I'll never bow to anyone not a king or even a very handsome prince" Gabi started laughing and between gasps she told Thea what she had remembered. Thea's only reply was "And I stand firm at that" then started laughing too.  
  
When Lance, the Prince and the princes squire Dylan walked into the clearing in forest that surrounds the manor, that's how they were. They laughed even harder when the men entered the clearing. Dylan whispered to the other two, "we definitely missed something here".  
  
The men kept walking towards them, and they finally got under control. When the men reached the rock, which Thea and Gabi were sitting upon all was quiet. Finally Lance cleared his throat and Gabi got the message. "Oh right introductions are in order." She continued formally "Thea this is Sir Lance of Greenish, Dylan of Dunlath, and Prince Jason of Conte. Guys this is Thea of, of well of here, I guess." Gabi looked at Thea with confusion.  
  
"Its just Thea" she said with an uncomfortable smile.  
  
Dylan noticed they were still sitting and piped up "It's polite you know, to bow to the Prince"  
  
This threw Gabi and Thea into a fit of laughter. When they got under control, Gabi said with a mischievous smile "Thea bows to no one". Thea whacked her on the back off the head. "Shhhh you giving away my secrets" Thea said with a similar smile.  
  
Before anyone could say anything else Thea's stomach growled. "I guess that's my stomachs way of saying I need food," Thea said getting to her feet. She started walking towards the village. "I guess we are to follow" Gabi replied with a sigh because she had to get up. They caught up with Thea, who had started singing the song she had made up that morning.  
  
When they broke through the clearing everyone but Thea gasped. Butterflies were everywhere, all sizes and colors. Thea just smiled (she was used to this kind of thing happening after she sang) and reached out a hand to let a pretty blue and purple butterfly on her land on her palm. 


	7. One Great Big Circle

One Great Big Circle  
  
Thea sat down at a table in the back of the Black Dragon, which is an inn/tavern. Thea Thank the Gods that it was only noon because the "dancing entertainment" came later. Gabi and the three men sat around the table as well. There was a big uncomfortable silence and Thea was the only one who didn't notice. She was engrossed with the man playing the lute in the center of the tavern. Thea was humming along not noticing the shifting clearing of throuts that were going around the table.  
  
A woman came over to the table passing around mugs of ale not bothering to ask if they wanted something else. The woman obviously didn't know she had the heir to the kingdom at her table. Thea knew her as one of the loose girls in the town, and she wasn't only loose with the men, but she was loose in the head too. "Chicken and Biscuits, it's what were serving so take it or leave it" the woman said in a bored as can be tone of voice.  
  
"I'll take it" Thea piped finally looking away from the musician. The others just nodded in agreement. Then Thea looked around the table and decided to strike up a conversation before the room exploded with the tension.  
  
"So what is this progress about anyway, I mean I have heard that you were coming and all but i never got around to asking why." She turned to the Prince and asked "Are you getting Married?"  
  
The Prince shook his head, looking abit embarrassed. "No, this progress is for Tortall to get a finall look at my grandfatheras king, he decided it was time to step down and hand over the throne to my father. All the Knights from his generation are dead, like Sir Gareth the younger, or retired like the Lioness, who is with us by the way she's the one you talked to. So this is also his last real look at Tortall and his people. The coronation for my Father will be this mid-winter."  
  
Thea nodded her understanding then wondered about someting else. " OKay so tell me why a little town like Dragon's Box hold such interest that you are staying here longer than you did at bigger places?" Thea said this with alittle bitterness, she was covering up the confusion over the feeling of relief she had felt when he told her he wasn't marring.  
  
There was no responce to her question for a long moment. Then Lance said "The king is just reluctant to go home I guess" Thea knew he was lying. Thea could always tell if someone was lying because there tone changed, Thea called it a fracture in thier inner song. Thea told him she knew.  
  
"Your lying, and i have a big hunch as to the answer to my question. The Baron right?" The others just stared at her not knowing what to say. They didn't have to either because the door to the Black Dragon opened and everyone who wasn't to drunk (most of the people in the tavern weren't that drunk yet because it was only noon) stood up and started to bow like crazy. The King had just walked into the smoky room and looked around until he spotted his grandson and started walking towards the table.  
  
Everone at the table except Thea stood up and bowed. The king, the lioness and their gaurds all looked at Thea. She just raised her eyebrows and stared back without any emotions in her (at the present anyway) gold eyes. The Price spoke up "Grandfather this is Thea and from what i heard she bows to know one".  
  
Thea had excepted to be scolded at but instead the king smiled a tired smile and replied "I like her already, All these years with people bowing left and right took some years out of my life" He turne to face the still sitting Thea who was now smiling. "So you are the mysterious girl who saved my life and those of my children and wife when my conection with the land in Tortall are wavering because i am handing them down to my son"  
  
Thea replied with a simple "maybe" and smiled. "Well if it was you I thank you from the bottom of this old heart of mine" the king replied truthfully as he sat down in a chair across from Thea that was offered to him by Gabi, the lioness sat down on his left and said "as do I". Thea felt something there, the Lioness's inner song was crying and before she could stop and think Thea blurted out to Alanna  
  
"Your sad" she stated it as a fact not a question  
  
Alanna just looked at her then gasped as Thea's eyes began to turn brown because she was feeling the pain and sadness that was coming from the old lady in waves, Thea hadn't heard such a sad song in a long time.  
  
Gabi who saw that Alanna was on the verge of tears decided to change the subject.  
  
"Your eyes still do that! They freaked me out when we were little and they still do" Gabi looked at the others and explained "her eyes change with her moods, and i could never watch them without shivering"  
  
Thea closed her eyes, blocked out the sad song and breathed meditatingly waiting to feel that small tink that told her her eyes where changing. When she was sure they where back to there neutral color of gold she opened them. Her eyes bothered her to because she could never hide her feelings from anyone who new what the colors meant, like Pete.  
  
"Yes they still do that and it's a blood inconvenience." That drew a chuckle from someone from behind Thea. She shivered. With that evil laugh it could only be Hilence Barnapple, the Barons Son. Thea turned around and glared at him.  
  
"I thought i told you that if you ever showed your face around me again, i would bloody it, obviously someone doesn't take a threat to heart."  
  
"Oh i am shaking in my boots" with that he laughed along with three of his friends who where standing right behind him.  
  
"You should be, because you have 5 second to get out of here before i cut your throat and leave here with no regrets." with that she pulled out a knife and held it to his throat. No one had even seen her move she was so fast. Hilence paled visibly "You wouldn't be so brave if you didn't have a bunch of people standing behind you, just like you are brave when Pete is nearby" then he whispered so only she could here "Just wait I'll get you alone" with that he turned and left. Thea mumered under her breath "bring it on".  
  
She turned to the people, who had stood up, and said  
  
"Sorry about that, he just really disturbs me" (If you knew Thea well enough you would know she told the truth because her eyes where a lite blue of distubance). "If I am to get home before night fall i got to leave now so i'll see you guys later i guess."  
  
Thea left but not before she saw the King nod to 2 of his gaurds, they were to follow her. "Oh well, I'll just have to sleep here in town tonight." she said under her breath. But she wasn't going to tell them that, she needed to release some energy.  
  
It was a long ride but Thea rode the whole ride with a smile on her lips. She rode out of town and all the way around the town, going the long way to make it seem like hours for her followers who were afoot. There faces were priceless when they relized they were back at their camp. The King looked at them when they walked into the clearing.  
  
"Well that was faster than i though it would take, where did she go"  
  
The gaurds said in unison "In one great big Circle." They looked around until they spotted Thea at the edge of the woods. "She was playing with us the whole time! one gaurd said in rage. When The King looked over at Thea He realized what had happened and started to laugh. Soon everone who was nearby was laughing too.  
  
Thea walked her horse over to the king and said "I don't like to be followed it give me the creeps, and now because of you i have to stay in town tonight."  
  
"Do you have a place to stay?, it would only be polite to give you a tent for the night."  
  
"yes when i stay in town i stay at the temple of the Goddess, Good night your majesty." With that she galloped out of the camp with the King, prince and his friends all staring after her shaking thier heards in amazment. That girl is something The king thought as he watched her go. 


	8. Usually Ill

Usually Ill  
  
Thea woke up to a pounding and stuffy head. She moaned as the morning sun shone though the window into her eyes. It wasn't like Thea to wake up late even when she was sick (which was often). At the moment Thea didn't care if it was midday, she wanted to sleep. Her dreams last night had givin her little rest.  
  
Thea sighed and sat up, sleeping was useless, her head hurt to much, and she didn't want to have to face her dreams again if they decided to grace her with their presence again. She has been having these same dreams since she was little. They dreams of being safe and then ripped out of that haven, the dreams of bloody death that didn't make since. Why would she dream of such things. Thea shook her head not wanting to remember the gruesome detail of the dream that haunted her sleep to often for any comfort.  
  
The bells from the temple tower struck ten times. Thea jumped out of bed ignoring her pounding head, she had not realized it was so late. Quickly she dressed in a plain brown skirt and a light blue shirt. Thea usually just wore breeches but in the temple of the goddess she made sure she showed proper respect and wore women's cloths.  
  
When Thea finished dressing she had to sit because the room had suddenly stated spinning. So she sat there and started to braid her hair into its usual two long braids that almost reached her waist. With the room back to being motionless she slowly got up. Thea was used to being sick lick this and new if she went to a healer now it would just be back in about an hour. She would have to deal for a couple days.  
  
Thea opened the door and made her way to temple's statue of the goddess and curtsied. After she paid her respects she went to the door that open into the street, which was already really busy by this hour. Thea followed her nose to a stand that had morning cakes for sale. Thea bought two knowing she would feel a little better after her stomach was satisfied. Then Thea walked to the town well and drank her fill of water, already feeling her head clear a bit.  
  
"Thea! Thea! Over hear!" Thea looked around and saw Olivia, one of the musicians at the Mithros's mass. Thea new the her well because she had given the younger girl singing lesson's once. Olivia had a good voice and now often sang with Thea, at get-togethers in the town. She waved and walked over to where she was sitting with another girl that Thea did not know well. Thea though her name might be Sue but couldn't be sure. Olivia was a beautiful out-going person who Thea got along with well, where as Sue was a shy plain looking girl who only talked to a few people.  
  
"What are you guys up to today, I thought you would be associating with the guests. Then she looked at the blushing Sue and added to Olivia "Well you anyway"  
  
Olivia laughed and looked at her friend. "Thea this is Mary Sue, but we call her Sue, she doesn't like strangers. Sue you know Thea, she the towns best singer. Sue just nodded and looked away, but Thea talked to her anyway. "We have something in common already, I hate strangers too."  
  
Thea started coughing so she said goodbye to the two younger girls and walked back to the well to get some water. When she was done she sat down on the edge of the well to catch her breath. She thanked the gods that Pete wasn't there. He worried every time she got sick, but he would also joke about it to. He would say that they need a separate fund locked up to give to healer every week. Thea would protest that she wasn't sick that often, or she did before the town healer had stated that he didn't have to be paid every time she got sick, just every other, that way he didn't lose track of the money. Now Thea just had one defense "It's not my fault that I get sick all the time".  
  
Thea jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder. Thea cursed herself, she had never before let a sickness make her let down her guard. Thea turned and saw Gabi, the prince, Sir Lance and the prince's squire (Thea was searching her mind for his name) standing behind her. She mumbled a hello and sat back down again.  
  
"Sorry to say Thea but you look like you where trampled by a horse, five times over." Gabi said this with a laugh, and Thea gave her a weak smile "That's exactly how I feel"  
  
There was a long silence while Thea tried and failed to contain another coughing fit. When she had her breath back the prince said "I can fix that for you if you'd like"  
  
Thea just shook her head knowing it was useless to hope, "It'll just come back". Lance was looking at her curiously, then said "I don't get it, you where fine yesterday, you cursed or something?"  
  
Thea just laughed and replied "Probably".  
  
"There are three thing about you that are the same now as they where when you where eight. Gabi said and Thea just raised an eyebrow at her in an unspoken question.  
  
"First you got sick very often and very suddenly, Second you still where your hair the same, I have never seen it different, and third you have that same weird necklace on."  
  
Thea looked down, her shirt that she had on was lower than what she usually wore. Her necklace that usually hid beneath her more modest shirts now showed brightly against her skin above her shirt. Thea never took that necklace off; it had become so much a part of her that she usually forgot it was there.  
  
"My necklace is not weird, leave it be and my hair to." Thea smiled, she remembered saying that statement a lot to Gabi who always asked about the two things. Thea could not bring her self to say that her hair was the way it was because that the way her "dream" mother used to do her hair when she was four. When she had supposedly gotten better she wasn't allowed to where her hair like that. So ever since she had run away Thea had braided her hair like it was to remind her of that beautiful peaceful dream she had once knew.  
  
The necklace confused Thea also. All she new is that she had found it in the woods the night she had run away. It had a small jewel that changed color with her eyes. Pete had tried to find it's secrets but nothing had worked and Thea could not bring herself to give it over to an untrustworthy jeweler.  
  
Her necklace was now a very light gold. Thea new it would soon be completely white. Her eyes always went white (except for the pupil of course) when she was sick and the necklace always matched her eyes.  
  
"I am going to be in a very bad mood for the next two days so if I snap at you, don't take it personally, I hate it when I am sick. It gets so annoying. With That Thea started coughing all over again with everyone around looking at her with concern. The Prince suggested she go back to bed and Thea wholeheartedly agreed. Gabi helped her back to the temple where she promptly fell into a dreamless sleep. 


	9. Fire

** Fire  
**  
The next two days passed pretty much uneventfully. Thea made herself get out of bed early to eat and walk a little. Her eyes had yet to turn all the way white, so she new she had to wait about a day more until the healing would actually stay in her.  
  
Thea saw little of the guest, because they where being entertained by the baron, with hunts and feasts. Gabi had managed to come see her once but Thea had to get to bed because her head felt as if it was going to explode.  
  
On the third morning she was overjoyed to see that she could finally go to the healers. Her joy faded when she remembered that to get to the healer's house she would have to get out off bed and watch the world spin in many dizzying circles.  
  
Thea managed to get up, dress and rebraid her hair before she felt like she was going to pass out. Barely she walked out the door onto the busy street (she had woken up around 10 again). Thea just kept walking, knowing the way to the village healers as if it were a second home. Which it is, Thea thought grumpily.  
  
The healers building was a small wooden, well built house that the healers all had paid for. The four village healers used this building for their practices instead of their houses, which surrounded the much more, cared for house. Today the healers' building was empty of patients.  
  
When she walked through the door, the head healer, Sasha, took one look at her and started to laugh "back again Thea, weren't you here already this month?"  
  
Thea just stared at her, her eyes white and bloodshot. This cold was worse than usual, and she just wanted to feel normal again. A man that had been talking to Sasha turned to face Thea and let out a yelp. "You look horrible," he blurted out not even looking embarrassed. Sasha just laughed and Thea glared at the man's green eyes.  
  
"Thea this is Sir Nealan of Queenscove, Nealan this is Thea, the girl forever ill, but I think it's a ploy and she just likes our company" Sasha said this with laughter in her gray eyes.  
  
Thea nodded a greeting to the man, not daring a bow or curtsey. "Where's Daniel?" Daniel was the healer that usually healed Thea of her "nasty offing's," as he called them.  
  
"He's out today, so you young lady are stuck with me." Sasha turned to Sir Nealan and said "I'll just be a moment"  
  
"No problem"  
  
"Follow me Thea"  
  
She walked into a room with Sasha and laid down on the pallet, already starting to fall asleep. When the healer finished the healing, Thea felt her head deflate and fell asleep. She always slept right after a healing was done.  
  
She was still sleeping at midday when Sasha was locking up to go out for midday. She decided to let her sleep, and the only other person in the house was the baby that had been abandoned on her doorstep about a year past, who was also asleep. Sasha decided the baby would be fine with Thea, who would wake up if the baby started to cry (Sasha new this because it had happened before).  
  
Thea woke up about half way through the midday hour. She dimly heard a baby crying, and also smelled something strange. Thea came out of her sleepy state instantly after recognizing the smell. Smoke!  
  
Thea ran over to the door and made sure it wasn't warm, then open it. The fire was on one side of the room; hastily making it's way through the fire warding spells so it can spread. It was blocking the front door. As she looked around she noticed it was already making its way through the kitchen (she new then that this fire had been set and was spelled so that it can get passed the fire wards) almost to the back door. Within moments she would have no escape.  
  
She heard the baby cry again and remembered baby Bea, and ran to a room that was to near the flames for comfort. Thea picked up Bea and started toward the back door, but found it blocked. She swore and Bea started crying even more than she already had. By now the fire surrounded them. Thea sang to calm herself and the baby down. The baby quieted instantly and she had to make sure Bea was still breathing. The smoke was getting denser, and Thea could barley see her hand.  
  
They found a clean pocket of air and Thea gulped in fresh air. Then she saw it, they only way to go, the only exit not covered with flames. Thea knew there was no other way out, only the one way she really didn't want to go, not with a baby in her arms.  
  
Everyone in the town had seen the smoke and had come running only to find their healers house in flames and about to collapse. Guest to the town were also at the scene, including the King, Jason, Gabi, Lance and Dylan. They all heard a woman start to scream "Bea! Bea! Thea!" They looked over to see middle-aged woman being restrained by a man; she was trying to run toward the burning building.  
  
Gabi walked over to the head healer Sasha, who was crying. Gabi knew Sasha well; she was the one who had healed Sasha the night she was attacked. "Sasha what is wrong" Gabi asked heartbroke to see the healer in such a bad way.  
  
"The b-baby Bea is in their, a-a-and T-Thea t-to" she stuttered between gasps.  
  
Gabi looked over at her friends with horror in her eyes then she looked over at the building that was engulfed in flames. Gabi knew she could do nothing to save her friend and the baby, no one could.  
  
All of a sudden there was a loud crash and glass was shattered everywhere. People held up their hand to protect their faces from the sharp pieces. (There had been a large glass window in the front of the building, it had been expensive but the healer thought light was essential for healing to work completely.) At first the bystanders thought that the window had finally burst under pressure but then they saw something flying out of where the window had once been. Then the object fell to the ground, curled and rolled.  
  
Thea sat up and checked on the baby, it seemed to bee fine, she had fell asleep when Thea had sang to her. Someone rushed at the sitting figure screaming. The baby woke up and started to scream too. Sasha fell to her knees next to Thea and took the baby, just before Thea started choking madly from the smoke.  
  
"Thank you goddess, you are both alright" Sasha said through tears.  
  
Thea finally stopped coughing and looked around everyone was looking at her with awe. Thea just shook her head and laid down on the grass. Sasha moved away and another face appeared over her.  
  
"Hello Gabi" Thea said through a sore throat "How was your day?"  
  
Gabi laughed and held her hand out to help her friend up. Thea took it gladly and stood up and drank big gulps of water that had been handed to her.  
  
"I need to sit down" and she was about to do just that when she heard a familiar voice from behind her.  
  
"I can't leave you alone for a week without you getting into some kind of trouble can I?"  
  
A/N:  
  
Thanks for the reviews! Oh ya I keep forgetting- I disclaim any Tamora Pierce characters. 


	10. Pete's Return

** Pete's Return**  
  
"Pete!" Thea turned and yelled, ignoring the pain in her throat. She threw herself into his open arms, hugging him tightly.  
  
"I wasn't expecting you for two or three more days, and don't you ever skip out on me like that again." She said when she stepped back to look at her father figure. His red hair was still unmarred by gray even in his mid- forties. His blue eyes were bright with their usual laughter and life.  
  
"The spidren hunt was a bust, there were only two of them and they weren't the smartest, so I got done early" Pete look up at the burning building, then looked back at Thea with a look of sternness. "Please tell me you where in that building only to save a baby and that you were not sleeping in there because of another fix-up."  
  
Thea only looked at him with innocent golden eyes (now that she was healed her eye's were back to their neutral color). Pete just sighed and shook his head and then he noticed the on lookers. He noted the king and prince (Pete had seen the king before, though from a distance, and the young man next to him could only be Prince Jason) and remembered about the progress. He bowed respectively as Thea gave introductions.  
  
"King Jonathan, Prince Jason, this is Pete Jenkins, he's my father figure. And Pete you know who they are."  
  
Pete looked at the king with apologetic eyes. "I tried to teach the girl manners but it doesn't seem to stick." Thea just punched him in the arm as someone else caught his eyes.  
  
"Lady Gabriella? Little Gabi? Is that you? I thought you were dead!" Pete said with the same shock that Thea had felt a couple days ago.  
  
"It's me Pete" Gabi said with a bow, "How have you been?"  
  
Before he could answer, someone started shouting. "No, I am not paying far another gods damned house when you have four perfectly useable ones for healings! And it wasn't my fault you lazy drugged up people set fire to the place!  
  
The Baron had turned red in the face from yelling at Sasha, Daniel, Elizabeth and Tyler, the four village healers. Sir Nealan was standing next to Sasha along with another woman who Thea had yet to meet.  
  
Thea excused herself and walked over to the quarrelling people, not bother to see if anyone followed her (Which everyone did). Daniel was yelling, for he had won big temper. "We didn't set fire to the healing house! Especially with a baby and a sleeping person in there! It had to have been an accident, and we are not going to give up are houses because you are a greedy bastard..."  
  
"Danny!" he looked over at Thea, annoyed at being interrupted.  
  
"I am sorry Thea, for losing my temper, I know you've been trying to rid me of it, but it's true he is a greedy bastard"  
  
"Well no kidding, the whole realm could probably tell that the minute they first see and hear him" this cause snickers and giggles to run through the crowd that had gathered around to watch the scene. The baron scolded at them, but before he could open his mouth Thea continued.  
  
"But Danny, I didn't interrupt you because of your temper. I interrupted because the baron shouldn't have to pay for the house." A murmur of protest rose up from the crowned and healers, but Thea's changing eyes quitted them down. Only Pete knew that the light green color meant that the baron was not going to like what Thea was going to say. The color meant she was up to a mischief or something close to it.  
  
Thea continued when she had the healer's complete attention (and everyone else's too). "The fire was not an accident, and I think the person responsible for it should pay, don't you agree?  
  
There was a moment of complete motionless, then a voice of one of the bystanders shouted confused "It was set? Who would burn down a healer's house?" The villagers started talking among themselves until the baron rudely shut them up.  
  
"There is no way you could have known it was set girl, you where supposedly asleep or you would have been out of the building sooner, unless, of course, you want to confess? If not go away and mind your elders!" The Baron said this with undisguised harshness; he had a distinct dislike of Thea ever since she had embarrassed him in front of his people by turning down his "job offer". He had tried to kick her out of the town for good but he couldn't because she worked with the temples, and he didn't want to upset any gods.  
  
"As a matter of fact, I do know that this fire was set, an accidental fire would not have gone through the fire warding spells so easily, this place was covered with them, the kitchen where the most protection spells were the fire raged the most. Someone who has the gift set this fire. And I do believe the only person who has in this place, besides some of the guests' maybe and Pete, who has any kind of fire gift is your son."  
  
The baron understood her meaning and turned red and then purple with rage. "Then how do you know your precious Pete, or any of the guests didn't set this fire? My son is to smart to do this, so if you accuse him again you will pay the same price any _peasant_ would pay for speaking to your betters like that." With that he lifted his hand to strike her but Thea was faster, she caught his skinny arm and used her foot to pull his feet out from under him.  
  
Thea put her foot in the middle of his heaving chest and said with a smile (her eyes still light green) "For your information Baron, Pete just got in, you can ask any of the five men over there." Thea pointed to the five men still on horseback. People have seen them around the village sometimes; they were ex-bandits from the Forbidden Fortress. Though the villagers didn't know where they came from, they accepted them just like they did Thea. The people from Forbidden Fortress usually didn't venture out unless they had to. "They where riding with him. He has been out doing _useful_ things, unlike you. Besides I know the tune his gift makes, it wasn't his."  
  
As for your guest And are you telling me that you can't keep them entertained, so they sneak away trying to burn down your village for better entertainment? Tsk Tsk, you should be doing your job better."  
  
Thea stepped away from him, and stated to rise. But he wasn't fast enough. Pete pushed him back down and glared into the baron's angry, beady eyes (Pete has temper worse than even Danny's).  
  
"If you try to lift a hand to Thea again you'll have more than just a skilled, fighting, teenager to deal with. You'll have to go through me." To make his threat last he heated up his hand to leave a painful imprint of his hand on the man's chest, not to mention ruined his cloths. Thea pulled Pete off Baron Barnapple before he could do anymore damage. She whispered to him to calm him down.  
  
The Baron finally got himself up off the ground and looked down at his ruined cloths. He just scowled at Pete and then turned to the healers. "I'll get your bloody house rebuilt" after that he stomped away like a kid having a tantrum.  
  
Thea turned to Pete "Do you have Thunder Gold with you, he's big enough to carry us both back home?" Pete nodded and went back to his men.  
  
Gabi walked over to Thea and said with a small smile, "still same old Pete"  
  
Thea smiled and then looked over at the prince who came up to stand in front of her.  
  
"Is he always that protective of you?"  
  
Thea laughed and replied "You should see what he did to Hilence when he tried to kiss me, and get me into bed. That was a sight I'll never forget. He's like any other father in this town, well the ones that love there daughter's enough to look out for them."  
  
"But he's not your father?"  
  
Thea tried to answer but her throat hurt from talking so much, and then she started to cough which made the pain worse. Gabi led Thea over to a less crowded area where she could sit down. Gabi answered Jason's question. "No Pete is not her father, he was actually a shopkeeper here but then he moved to wherever they disappear to, Thea once told me he was the like a dream father she once had, though I never really understood that. Do you need a healer or do healers not work for these kind of things either?" the question was directed to the coughing Thea.  
  
She took a deep breath to stop coughing. "Yes healings do work for normal things, and no I'll be fine, I don't need a healer."  
  
Thea started to hum a random song before she could cough again. Then she started to sing and as she did her throat started to sooth.  
  
"I want to cry like the rain,  
  
Fly like a bird, roll like a stone.  
  
I want to love like I ain't afraid to be alone,  
  
I what to live"  
  
When she stopped singing her throat felt fine but she was getting tired. Sir Lance, who had been quietly standing by Gabi (as Dylan was standing quietly by Jason), finally spoke up. "Wouldn't that just hurt your throat more?"  
  
Before Thea could answer Pete walked up with the King and the lioness. Pete had heard Lance ask the question and answered for her. "If I were you I wouldn't look into the whole music thing, I stopped trying to figure out what was up with her and her songs long ago, I have concluded that she is just plain weird especially when she starts talking of everything being music related." Then he addressed Thea "Ready to get home, I am in serious need of a bath and a real bed, and these men want to get back to there families."  
  
"We'll get there fast enough, well only if he doesn't send someone to follow us, it was really annoying when he did that last time" Thea said with a yawn.  
  
Pete looked at the king and then sighed. Thea knew what that meant, she knew what he was going to say, but she let him say it anyway. "Thea, it has to happen sometime and you know it, who else would be better to finally see Forbidden Fortress than the King and some of Tortall's finest warriors? 


	11. Welcome

** Welcome  
**  
Thea could think of no excuse or reason to stop the inevitable. Her home was going to be revealed. It will no longer be a safe refuge for her and others.  
  
Soon they would be upon the Forbidden Forest warning signs. Thea could only pray to the goddess that people riding behind her would turn around and think her crazy for living in the cursed part of the forest. But even as she prayed she new it was hopeless. They would continue on just as Pete and then the bandits had done many years past.  
  
Thea thought of the bandits with a sigh. They would no longer be in a secret place where they couldn't be touched. They are going to hate me, Thea thought; at least I was able to have the group of people cut down considerably. Now there is just the king, the lioness, prince Jason, Gabi, Sir Lance, and Dylan, instead of added on knights and soldiers. Thea had told the king that if he brought to many they would scare the people that live near her. Pete, who agreed with her, had assured the king that he had enough battle magic to protect them from anything less than an army (Pete wasn't the modest type, and he didn't have to be, he was a very strong battle mage).  
  
When the king had agreed that just a small group of people needed to join him, Thea had excused herself from the group to walk the few blocks to the temple. She had planned on leaving Shadow there and ride with Pete but decided against it. She'd saddled Shadow slowly and walked him back to the healers' building that was now just a pile-charred ruins. The fire had been successfully put out by the villagers who had loaded bucket upon buckets of dirt and water on top of it.  
  
Thea had sung to sooth Shadow who could smell the smoke that was lingering in the air. Just as the baby had done, the horse quieted and listened to her voice (except the horse didn't fall asleep).  
  
Thea tensed they reached the signs, but she didn't stop to see if anyone followed. She heard Dylan voice a complaint though. "Are we going in there? I have heard the awful legends of this place in the days that we have been at Dragon's Box!"  
  
She had to smile at Jason's curt reply "Shut up, you superstitious little crackpot". Her smiles faded when she realized that Dylan was the only one who voiced any complaint at all. Everyone kept following her, and they were almost to her home.  
  
She breathed deep steady breaths so her eyes wouldn't change to give away any emotion. She listened to the leaves blowing in the wind; she watched the birds and squirrels peek at them shyly from the tree branches. Then she started to sing to get her mind off upcoming event.  
  
"Cupid works for Uusoae, be suspicious if he cries...  
  
Chocolate is a Band-Aid  
  
And no matter what they say  
  
Shoes don't stretch and Men don't change..."  
  
While she was singing, she felt a lift come off the sad song from inside the lioness, though it didn't go away or quiet down to much. But the song got a real smile from the old warrior. The song also helped Thea calm down and think.  
  
These people aren't so bad, maybe this journey won't turn out for the worst...completely anyway.  
  
At that moment the group past a few remaining trees and stopped at the top of the hill. Down in the valley lay the small village and manor. It was a beautiful sight. The trees encircling the place had leaves that where changing color and slowly dropping from the branches. The streets where clean and the small market place was filled with all the residents. Pete's guards had rode ahead to tell their families and companions of the company that was coming.  
  
Even from her place on the hill that was a couple yards from the village, she could feel the tension and fear. They are afraid of being kicked out, or of their quiet peaceful living being disrupted for good.  
  
Pete was on one side of Thea, the king and lioness on his other side, Thea couldn't see their faces but she could here their gasps of surprise. The prince was holding on to his horse (to stop himself from falling of in shock) on the other side Thea. Gabi, Dylan, and Lance where on his other side but Thea could see them perfectly. Their reactions were very similar to the prince's.  
  
"Welcome to Forbidden Fortress" She said with a smile of pride, she looked over at Pete to see that he had a similar smile to brighten up his features.  
  
Thea kicked her mare into a relatively slow walk. With Pete next to her and the rest behind her she made her way to the village. As they got closer to noise level decreased, by the time they actually reached the villagers the only sound was coming from the horse's hoofs. The villagers, who looked well and healthy, looked up at Thea and Pete for some kind of explanation. Alls they received was reassuring smiles, but that seemed to be enough for them because conversation started up again. Snitches of what was being said came to the ears of the people traveling past them.  
  
"Pete and Thea are good people...nothing will happen to us...we're still safe...the prince is very cute, you think he goes for tall blondes?"  
  
Thea sighed with relief, they took the invasion better then she had expected. To that last remark she heard Thea felt greatly disgusted (at least she told herself it was disgust) for she new the speaker, Emma, who was pretty enough to get any man for a husband but she decided to test them all out.  
  
By the time they reached the manor the villagers had cleared the market place and had gone home for the night. Stable hands came cautiously to take Thea's, Pete's and the important stranger's horses. They to had heard who had entered their special domain and they had no idea how to feel about it.  
  
Pete lead the way into the main sitting room while Thea made her way to the big kitchens to see if there was anyway enough food could be made. She was in luck, the hunters had brought in some game earlier and the servants had already skinned and drained the meat. It could be cooked within a reasonable amount of time. The servants; Tatha, Millie, Greda and the cook, Kara, had yet to go to bed and were still willing to make it (Pete and Thea tried not to keep the servants around after hours to long). She also ordered ale and tea to be taken out to the guest. As Millie readied the ale Thea added "Make sure Pete doesn't have any ale, he most likely didn't take to much care of himself on his trip."  
  
With that done she steered Tatha out of the kitchens to help set up the sleeping arrangements. Though they had rebuilt the manor with a considerable amount of rooms, most weren't useable because they never planed on having guests. They had built a master bedroom though neither Pete nor Thea used it (Pete said he would get lonely in such a big room, without his wife, but Thea had wanted it built anyway just incase Pete ever met someone). They could put the king and prince in that room because it was useable, the lioness and Gabi (if she wasn't going to sleep outside her knight-masters door like a normal squire would do) could share Thea's room and Dylan would probably sleep with Lance in a room next to Pete's or outside the prince's door.  
  
Thea left Tatha making sure the rooms were orderly then went down to the sitting room were the guests were. When she entered everyone was laughing. Thea quickly realized the center of their amusement. Pete was begging Millie to give him the ale instead of tea, but she stubbornly refused and repeated what Thea had told her in the kitchen.  
  
Pete only scowled jokingly at Thea when she sat down next to him. As he sipped the tea he made a sour face that made everyone chuckle again. "Damn girl thinks I can't look after my own health, when she's the one sick every month."  
  
"I only learn the annoyingly care taking from you" She replied with a innocent smile.  
  
This playful bickering with some pointless chatter in between lasted a little longer; until Greda came into announce that dinner was ready. When everyone was seated at the table and started to eat, the questions started.  
  
"I think I speak for everyone of the guest around me when I ask, how did this... place come about? I mean I though this forest was thought to be cursed and that not even bandits have trespassed in over 50 years." This came from the lioness directed at Pete.  
  
Pete swallowed hard, this is what he had been dreading. To tell them how he had come about the old ruins was to tell how Thea had been alone and that would start questions that Thea definitely would get upset over. Luckily Thea had a way with word. What she said may not be the whole truth but it wasn't a lie.  
  
"I found this place when I was little, I got separated from the caravan I had been riding with. I was to young at the time to know how to read so I didn't understand the warning signs. I came upon the old manor and deserted village so I decided to stay because it didn't look like anyone was going to becoming back for a while. Every once in a while I would go to Dragon's Box where I met Pete. He got worried about me and he followed me here. After that it's basically apparent. We rebuilt the place, just to have something to do, then we found people willing to live and work here even with the supposed curse."  
  
When she finished her little speech she had been practicing in her head, she looked around at her guest's faces. The look skeptical but finally seemed to accept her story. The rest of the dinner past rather quickly and then the maids showed the sleeping arrangements. Everyone was fine with where they were placed (Gabi ended up in Thea's room and Dylan ended up sharing with Sir Lance).  
  
Long after the lioness and Gabi had drifted into sleep, Thea was still staring up at her ceiling. She turned over to get comfortable. The last thought she had before she fell asleep was 'Tomorrow should be interesting'

Thanks for the reviews!

I disclaime the charaters that belong to T.P.

Berlinchick90-sorry about that, i was trying to get the point across that Thea and Pete were protected by the temples, I guess i didn't explain it to well, sorry again, oh and what other parts are farfetched? please tell me, what am i doin wrong?


	12. Alanna's Sad Recollection

Alanna's sad recollection

Thea woke up to the chilly October air, shivering because most of her blankets were being used by the guests. The Lioness and Gabi had yet to awake, so Thea treaded quietly through the room as she dressed and rebraided her hair. Gabi was still snoring lightly when Thea left the room, closing the door behind her.

Whne Pete realized that Thea was serious about the fighting arts he had cleard some of the feilds of crops and made practice courts. But Thea wasn't the only one who ended up practicing combat in these courts. The ex-bandits soon had lessens in archery, knife and the spear there (if they so chose) after they where finished being built. Luckily noone else was at the courts when Thea arrived there for she didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment. Especially when she was about to practice her worst form in fighting.

Archery was diffently not her strong point, or anywhere near it. Sure she can catch arrow out of the air like picking flowers from the ground, but for some odd reason she could not get the hang of the bow. Thats why she really needed to practice, without interruptions or an aduiance.

Thea slowly walked to the shed at the side of one of the courts to retrive her bow and quiver. Then she walked slowly (as if on a death march) back to stand a good distanc away from one of the six targets. The quiver held six pratice arrows, and she had gone through one round when she heard footsteps. From the way the vibrations felt to her feet (soft and distance) she knew the person was about 50 yards away. Also by the rhythmand beat of the footsteps she knew automatically it was Pete. Her ability to hear footsteps (or anything that had a specific rhythm or beat to it) from distances because of the vibrations in the ground, and reconize them as a certain persons footsteps (she had found out rather young that everyones footstep beat was different and unique), weirded out Pete a bit. He can put up with alot of her "Musical wierdness" (as he calls it), but the whole foot beat thing still amazed him. So Thea normally kept that to her self.

"Your getting better" Pete observed when he came to stand next to her.

"Getting better? I didn't hit the center of the target once!" She replied studding her work with disgust.

"Yes, I can see that, but if you look at the bright side, at least you hit the target 5 times out of six" he said while gestering to the lone arrow sitcking out of the tree that was several feet to the left of the target. Thea had jerked right before she loosed the arrow, and it went a bit astray.

Thea sighed (her eyes hazel with dissapiontment) and said "Pete? I don't get it, I can throw knifes very well, and i can use the sling shot considerablly well, but no matter how much i practice i can't seem to get the hand of this thing." She held up the bow emphasizing her statement. Peten just smiled at her, having heard similar statements from her before. Pete prepared himself to give her, his normal speech.

"Thea you are good at many things, but you are not perfect, you can't be perfect because then whats the piont in life? There are many things you will do that no matter how hard you try, that particular thing is not for you, sure you can practice some more and get better at it but it will never be as good as some of the other things you are good at doing, like empty handed combat." And with that he took his outer jacket off and rolled up his sleeves, "Speaking of which, i could use alittle practice myself in that area".

"Practice? you? Never." But Thea was smiling, her eyes back to the nuetral gold. Even though Pete gave practically the same speech to her everytime she practiced with a bow, it was still good to hear the words again. Quickly she put down the cause of her self dissapiontment and started streching for something she could do very well. After she finished streching, she bowed respectfully to Pete and took her fighting stance. They fought for over a half hour of heavy combat before Pete was able to land Thea on her stomache and put his knee into the middle of her back.

"Give Up?" he voiced, barley panting where she was panting pretty hard.

"Never, but i will stop my challenge for the moment" She repiled as Pete got up and helped her to her feet.

Pete rolled down his sleeves and put his caot back on. "I have to go talk with our loveable villagers and explain to them that everything is going to be back to normal soon." He paused for a second then added "I Hope" beore he turned and headed for the village.

It was only when he was a good distance away that it hit hit her. It hit her hard. The very sad song of a certain lady knight, that was covered by layers of fake cheerfulness.

Thea turned to see The Lioness sitting on the fence that seperates the archery court from the staff combat feild. It looked as if she had been there for quite sometime, Thea just hadn't notice because she had been in the middle of combat with Pete, and that always took all her concentration. She smiled and waved as she picked up her bow, walked over to the small, sad woman.

Alanna jumped down from the fence when Thea neared. "I hope i didn't wake you up this morning when i left the room."

"No you were already gone by the time I got up" There was a small pause before Alanna continude "Wrestling"

"Pardon Me? Wrestling?"

"It's what I realy sucked at when i was training, still do to. We all have are weaknesses."

At first Thea was confused, Alanna must have notice because she pointed to her arrow in the tree. Thea blushed, her eyes a deep blue with embarrassment. Alanna noticed the change and smiled. "Come on, I help you collect them, befroe anyone else has to see." Thea murmured her thanks and started walking towards the targets with The Lioness by her side.

They gathered the six arrows, returned them to their quiver and stored them back in the shed. All the while talking about random things such as the weather and fighting tips. After Thea locked the shed back up, they started walking back towards the manor. At first there was a comfortable silece, but then Alanna brought up the subject they both had been avoiding.

"You where the only one to see through my mask, not even my longest friend the King could see though it. How did you know about it?" She didn't have to say what it was, for they both knew. It was the sadness locked up inside the Lioness, almost makng her go insane.

"I guess, I knew because i have a way of detecting things, especally if they are so loud." Alanna was alittle confused about the last part of the statement but decided to brush it off as one of those "no need to know at the moment things".

There was more silence, a bit uncomfortable this time, as they walked over to a bench that sat at the front of the house. It sat uder atree, shading them from the light of the still rising sun.

Thea decided not to pressure her with questions. She would know if the Lioness wanted her to know. I didn't take long before the talking started.

"My husband George died two years ago, we lived a long happy life and i was really sad to see him go, but it wasn't just that he died it was why he died. I had to tell everyone that he died of just being old, which he was but he was healthy in his old age. Something from his past came to haunt him in his last days. A son of one of his enemies, from when he used to be The King of Thevies. i don't know the specific details, but i do know that he died protecting information that can be used against this country, my friends. My daughter is investigating it for she is the only other who knows. My husband died a hero, like he always though he would, but i am not aloud to tell anyone. Atleast not until the threat can be eliminated and I am getting to old to do anything about it, I can't help my daughter uncover the secret in that information, she won't tell me this information 'for my own safety', she won't even tell me the whole truth about George's death and why i am not aloud to tell anyone"

There was a long pause while the Lioness wipped her streaming eyes. "I probably am making no sence, but i don't get it much either. I just don't what i'd do if i lost my daughter too."

Thea smiled reasurringly "It'll work out, don't worry, have faith in your daughter and if you ever need any help, with anything you can come to me, and i'll see what i can sing up."

Alanna gave Thea a grateful smile as they got up and walked towards the Manor. "Thank you Thea, for listening to this old woman, I may not know you that well but i have a felling that i can trust you wholeheartedly."

A/n:

sry for not updateing for so long, my computer crashed then i had 5 weeks at summer camp. forgive me


	13. Meaningless Conversation

**Meaningless Conversation:**

_Guess it's written on my face_

_God I get so sick of this place_

_I gotta get up, Get out and get a life_

_The days run long, the nights too short_

_Not much time for me no more_

_And I'm well overdue_

_So Now I'm Going to..._

Thea paused in her song when she saw a flash of color out of the corner of her eye. Prince Jason was standing by the stall door. Shadow looked at him with what looked like annoyance, her grooming and musical had been disturbed.

"Sorry. Um don't let me disturb you, keep singing, or else I think your mare will try and attack me."

"Shadow is harmless" Thea replied while caressing her beloved horse with the soft bristles of the brush. "And I was just about finished up anyway", she straightened up, collected the grooming brushes, and walked out of the stall, where the annoyed mare was establishing dominance over the bucket of oats.

There was an uncomfortable silence as she put away the brushes and shut the stall door. The Prince walked in step with her as she left the stables through the main entrance. It wasn't until they were out of the stables that the prince spoke.

"Was it true? What you were singing about?"

"I never speak a lie let alone sing one, it's a bad habit" Thea replied, the tension was broken and she smiled and continued "I do have to get out of here someday. I can't stay here forever, but for some reason I have not been able to get myself to stray to far. This has been the a refuge for me since I got here and I guess if I leave and come back that feeling would not be that same"

Thea realized what she had just done. She came close to opening up to him! The only person she had ever been open to was Pete. 'I don't even know him' she thought to herself, 'he seems like someone I can talk to, that's why, I'll have to be careful around him, how do I know if I can trust him?' But as much as she wanted to open up to him, she resisted the strange new urge and changed the subject before he could say anything else about her.

"So how do you like my humble home?" The Prince recognized the abrupt change in her and wondered why. He also noticed the way she had been talking about this place, like she was hiding from something, but he decided not to say anything about it yet, and play by her rules. He knew that she was not very comfortable around him, so he turned his thoughts to her question.

"Its very peaceful here, I like it I really do, it's like a symbol of love and hard work and it's most definitely not like other places. So who are all the villagers, I mean not every one would just walk into the forbidden forest, where did you find such brave people?"

Thea walked in silence for a moment, pondering the question. "They where just people from all over that needed love and could handle hard work" she replied using some of his own words to form a statement that wasn't a lie but also didn't give anything away. Or at least she thought she hadn't given anything away.

"They were bandits weren't they?"

Thea stopped in mid step, her eyes gray with surprise. "How did you know?"

"I guessed, don't worry I don't think anyone else has caught on...yet." Thea stared at him, her eyes made another drastic change to an aqua of confusion. The prince answered her silent question as shivers went up his spine at seeing the change. "You didn't strike me as the greedy, think about yourself type of girl, so when you where made that we were intruding upon your lovely home, it didn't take me long to figure out it was the people you didn't want us to meet, so I kind of just guessed."

Thea nodded, her eyes returning to their neutral gold and she started back towards the manor. Then she thought of something. "What makes you think I'm not the 'greedy think of myself' type of girl?"

"Well a couple of reasons actually. First you saved my family the first day we where here, even though you hate strangers and dreaded are coming" Thea lifted an eyebrow at this, the prince smiled. "When you had gone to get shadow from the Goddesses temple, Pete told us"

"So he's telling people my secrets, I'll have to confront him about that, but anyway continue, I believe you were explaining my lack of self want and greed."

"Oh yes, then continue I will. Second you jumped out of a flaming building by busting through a big window, not protecting yourself but a baby, who, if you where only thinking of yourself, you would have left the baby and walked out the door before it was overwhelmed by flames"

"So it looks like you got me all figured out doesn't it? And yet I hardly no you at all, now why is that?" But before he could answer they came upon the Manor where the prince's party was getting ready to leave. The two of them walked up to the small gathering just in time to hear Pete tell the king that he and Thea would be go to town tomorrow morning. Thea walked up to Pete, "We are? Since when?"

Pete just stared at her as if she was supposed to know, but after a moment he sighed and replied "Since you told the Baron you'd sing after dinner for the guests, even if you did so reluctantly and with a little persuasion from me, you should still remember."

"Persuasion my ass, you tricked me into doing it."

"Yap, well life's tough isn't?" Thea just playfully glared at him, remembering how he had said that he hadn't played a particular card game that Thea had learned from the townsmen it a long while, but he ended up being real good at the game, therefore she lost the bet and had to sing for the Baron and his guests.

"I still don't know why you want me to sing there, there is no reason to, there are other singers in that town you know, I should know, I taught a lot of them."

"I have my reasons" Thea sighed, having heard this many times before, but never understanding his reasons, at least not at the time.

"Oh, well I guess I'll see you all tomorrow then, goodbye you're majesty, your highness, lioness and all you other important people. I'm hungry some I'm leaving now" At that She turned and walked towards the Manor's back doors that, sure enough, lead to the kitchens.

Pete bowed respectfully to the nobles and apologized "I'm sorry for her rudeness, but the only time I tried to teach her to bow, she tricked me into bowing again and again until I was in the right position for her to kick me in the face. After that I never bothered, she's to stubborn for her own good, but I love her anyway." These statements caused chuckles from the small group as the mounted their mounts and said their own goodbyes.

In all the noise, no one notice the man standing in the shadows, staring in wonder, with a mischievous smile upon his thin lips, causing his face to look inhumanly ugly and evil.

* * *

A/N:

heeheehahoo and rainmage much thanks for the reviews keep them coming


	14. Warning

Warning

Thea was about to go onto the platform to sing, the next morning, when she first felt it, hundreds of footsteps and vibrations shaking her bones. The footsteps were coming from all directions and they were yet miles away but since there was so many, she could feel it. She somehow knew, instinctively that the mysterious footsteps destination, was the small town of Dragon Box and that they weren't coming to wish everyone a good life. It was quite the opposite actually.

She looked around for Pete to see if he had sensed the danger with his battle gift, but when she finally spotted him he was, he was talking to the King and Prince Roald, with his big goofy smile on his face. The danger was out of his range, which Thea took as a good sign.

The Baron stepped off the platform after his rather long, dull speech and Thea stepped up breathing heavily, her head spinning in slow nauseating circles, and it wasn't because she was getting sick again, it was because, for some reason, she could not hold back the vibrations and beat of the footsteps like she normally did in crowds. Thea stared out at the crowd at odds about what to do. Singing was defiantly out of the question, because when she sang the vibrations would just get worse. Thea knew this because when she and Pete had been out hunting a herd of hurroks, who had been terrorizing the village, they had been attacked by a large band of bandits. Thea had felt their footsteps and sung to herself to calm down but her head nearly exploded with pain and she had had a migraine for weeks after. It was that attack, that Thea had found another aspect of her "Musical Weirdness". If she sung really high, she could do serious damage to other people ears, though she never tried to do it again because it also had left Pete almost deaf for months. He still hasn't foully recovered and Thea didn't expect him to.

She dropped the spelled stick that amplified her voice and walked slowly down from the platform. A murmur rose up from the villagers, for they had never seen her walk away from anything, especially a performance. The Baron stood up, his scrawny face in, what Thea thought was a scowl, though she could never really tell. Hilence, who was standing by his father (He had some big bruises on his face, neck and there was probably more under his cloths, most likely from his father after his little fire stunt) was smirking, thinking that she was making a fool of herself. But then his smile disappeared and he visibly shivered, because he had seen her eyes, even though he didn't know what it meant, he knew it was not normal even for her to have one yellow eye (alertness) and one light blue eye (disturbance).

"What the Hell do you think you doing?? Get back..." The baron stopped in mid sentence when she walked right by him, not even sparing him a glance. His face grew a cherry red and he reached out to pull her back, but before he could a hand caught his arm in a death grip. Pete had come to see what was wrong with Thea, because he knew what her eyes meant. He pushed the Barons Arm away roughly and then let go to go catch up with Thea, who hadn't stopped walking towards the nearby bluffs that overlooked the village.

"Thea! What the hell is wrong? What do you feel?"

"There's a lot of them Pete, hundreds of them, all over the place, all coming here." She said this in gasps while holding her head in her hand in an effort to stop the pounding. When they reached the bluffs she went to her knees, dizziness overwhelming her.

"What coming" this was said by the King who had walked up behind them with Jason, Roald, Gabi and Alanna. Lance and Dylan were not far behind.

"Footsteps, people, danger" That was all she could get out before pain once again erupted inside her forehead, it was as if the people had stared marching. The King looked confused, Thea was in no condition to explain as she tried to lessen to pounding, so Pete was left to explain about her "ability".

When he was finished Roald was the first to comment. "But that's impossible, our mages scry every morning, and the jewel would have warned my father." It was Thea, who finally was able to stand up, who answered. "There are many ways to block scrying and I do believe it was the King who told me his power with the jewel was wavering because he was turning it over to you, it's the perfect time for an attack, and like it or not, we are going to get one." With that she went on to explain the position they were in, they were surrounded, and the mysterious persons would hit at the next dawn. Thea also estimated about 500 hundred in all. "The only break we are going to get is from the east, because the. Footsteps are going around the forbidden forest."

"It's daylight, you'd think someone would see 500 men trespassing on there land, and is it really going to take them until next dawn for them to get here?" Dylan asked impatiently.

Pete looked at him with annoyance that he didn't even try to cover. "The magic that stopping scrying I most likely hiding them from sight, and unless they decide to hit in the dark then yea they will be here at the next dawn." Pete turned to look out at the village. "Time to Prepare." He had a slight smile on his face that only Thea could see, he was excited for he would soon be back where he belonged, in battle.

* * *

Thanx for the reviews,  
  
Rainmage- Hmmm I wonder? Thea and Jason?  
  
Warrior of Tortall- you read my mind, i don't like hilence very nuch either, of course I made him  
that way, but something will be arrange, have no worryies  
  
Heeheehahoo- Sorry but i can't tell you, that would just spoil it, but you'll find out soon.  



	15. Battle

Battle:

Thea looked around her, she watched over her men from her village as the fought off the 150 of the men that had attacked from the east. She was seriously confused. The footsteps at first had started to go around the forbidden forest, but then they seem to change their minds and decided to risk the "curse". Unless someone had found out about the fluke and had told these attackers, whoever they were.

She had no time to ponder this though as another arrow came fling out of the trees, heading right for her. She side stepped the arrow easily, but was now starting to get annoyed. This archer had been shooting at just her since the battle had started, at as soon as she pinpointed his position, he disappeared, only to appear somewhere else, shooting at her from a knew direction. She knew it was the same archer because every time she went to look for him all she felt were his vibrations of his gift, and everyone's gift gave off a different vibe. This mans vibe was not necessarily strong but it wasn't weak, and Thea got the distinct feeling that it was evil. It was not a feeling that she was used to, and she certainly didn't like it.

Thea decided to try something with her gifted archer. She moved in the direction that the last arrow had come from, but instead of looking at the tree's to try to look for him, she looked at the ground and started to sing quietly.

'Hopefully this works' she thought to herself as she concentrated on the ground, near the trees, about 5 yards away from the fighting. She kept walking and singing, and at the same time she acted like she was just looking for this mystery person, not trying to feel footsteps.

There they where. A rather loud pound on the ground as an invisible, yet solid person jumped from an old oak tree that shimmered slightly in the breezeless day. Thea shank back into the shadows, following the footsteps with her mind, not her physical being. A shiver of excitement ran up her spine. She never had put her "talents" to this kind of useful work. She made a mental note to see if there was any other way these musical talents could be used in battle.

The foot steps where making their way around the clearing's bordering trees. They stopped under a tree just the left of her. Thea acted on impulse. She ran fast, and before the archer could climb onto the first limb of the tree, she tackled the invisible form the ground. She landed quite hard but she rolled off the big, manly form and got to her feet before the man even knew he had been caught.

She looked at the imprint in the soil, for the man was still invisible, but she can hear him breathing hard. She heard the man get clumsily to feet but she kicked him before he could straighten. He mustn't regain clarity of thought for she could lose him before she could find away to make him visible.

Listening closely, she heard the man roll around and groan. Thea smiled to herself, she knew what had happened, for she had heard that kind of groan many times, she had kicked him in the groin.

Thea saw something out of the corner of her eye; the man's bow was laying on the ground next a quiver full of arrows. With her ears still on the figure, which was slowly getting to his knees, she walked over to the bow and slammed her foot down on the beautifully carved wood of the bow. It was no longer useful to the man, and could no longer harm her.

The man was on his feet again, and Thea attacked once again, this time kicking him in the head. She heard him stumble back. As she was fighting this invisible archer, her mind was working fast. Pete had once taught her about the gifted. She strained to remember the lesson of invisibility. When an invisible person touches an object and it becomes invisible to, and then when they lose contact with the object it regains visibility, it usually involves a charm, most likely hung around the neck. This meant that she could not just kill the invisible man with her knife, because the knife would just disappear, and she might lose him or find out if he really is dead. Besides she didn't want to kill him unless necessary, she wanted some answers.

As the man nosily charged, Thea expertly sidestepped and grabbed where she hoped the neck would be. She felt for a chain as she hung on to the trashing figure. When she found it she pulled. A burning sensation went up her arm, and she quickly dropped the broken chain. At the same time a rather ugly, scrawny looking man appeared before her, an evil sneer on his thin lips added to the repulsiveness of him.

"You'll die, bitch!" Before she knew what happened a rip in the air appeared behind him and he turned and jumped through the hole. The rip sealed after his passage.

Eyes aqua with confusion, she turned and walked toward the battle, where her 125 men were down to a 120. But the loss of the attacker was greater and the remaining men (about 50) were surrendering.

Thea went to talk to Mark, the man in charge of her men. Pete had picked him because he was the best commander and fighter the village had, and that was quite a compliment, for there were many in the village, women included, who were skilled in the same way.

Mark had everything under control and was about to take the prisoners on a march to Dragon Box's dungeons, and from there the men from her village would go see if anyone else needed help fighting off these attackers. Some would stay behind to keep watch for further threat, and some would be taking the five dead men back to the village, which was being protected by our women warriors.

She retrieved Shadow from the shadows where Thea had left her before tackling the ugly archer. She turned to the south headed to where Pete, Prince Jason, some kings men, and men at arms from Dragon Box where they were raging in there own battle. She hoped everyone was fine and hoped that Pete wasn't to busy. She needed him to come back as fast a he could, to see if he can find any traces of the ugly archer or the magical rip.

* * *

Thanks to my one reviewer!  
heeheehahoo- much thanx, sry it took so long to update, do you like this chapter?  



	16. Aftermath

**Aftermath:**

_CRACK!!!_

Thea halted in her exercises, looking at the cloth covered, wooden dummy that she just snapped in half with a shape _yokogari _(kick to the side). Her breath came in shape gasps as she bent down to pick up the big splinters off the ground. Her sides' felt like they were about to cave in and her muscles were screaming from the lack of oxygen and overuse. She had been working out for 3 nonstop hours, and had gone through 8 dummies. She had also run Shadow and three other horses to their full extent while practicing with the lance. She had to keep going, she could not stop and think or she was afraid she'd break down or kill someone.

Adrenaline pumped through her veins with renewed enthusiasm as she looked around for something else to pummel. There was nothing, all the dummies where temporarily out of commission, some permanently. With that out of the way she now had nothing else to do but use the energy in a long fast, run 'that hopefully', she thought to herself, 'will not disappoint me.'

So she ran, not just around the Manor and village but also around Dragon Box and the whole border of the forbidden forest. Even as she ran her thoughts where still swimming through her head like _involuntary muscles. _

She thought about what has happened in the week since the big attack that was now being dubbed "The battle of the bands."

The 500 mystery men had been easily defeated, and about 400 had survived. The losses from the king's men and Thea's villagers had been surprising lower. Most of the men who had surrendered ended up going to the docks, mines and shipyard to finish off their pathetic lives. Thea almost felt bad for them, for they were all bandits, outcasts from their families and town, going hungry, and quite possibly insane.

But that was no reason to gang together in a pathetic attempt to kill the royal family.

About 50 of those men who had surrendered were leaders so their futures only held on thing. The gallows. The executions had ended yesterday, and Thea had forced herself to watch every one of them, or most anyway, she couldn't bring herself to watch the last twenty.

The Kings party was staying in dragons box for another week, to patrol for stragglers and to wait for answers. There were none. The only answers that they had gotten from any of the bandits were a few sentences about being hungry and wanting revenge. But Thea knew they we lying, it was quite obvious, but know one was giving away anything.

No one who talking about the mystery man and his magical rip into what seemed to be the very essence of reality. But some of the leaders had known, they had the answers that Thea needed, but Pete had been unable to get then to say anything, they had died when they had first open there mouths at being questioned. No magic had been able to stop the killings.

So now she was left with a mystery and she hated mysteries especially one so dangerous as this one.

And to top it all of today was the day, or morning, for she had been up since before dawn and the sun had just risen, that everything started. Today was the day when the memories of that time were so intense that they sometimes knocked her to her knees. Today was the day that everything had started so long ago. On this day 13 years ago, her dream life had disappeared, and she could never stop those memories from haunting her.

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Thanks to warrior of Tortal 

I like your suggestion! but i am to lazy to change it, thanks again for reviewing! Like the chapter?

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	17. Overworked

**Overworked:**

It was later that day, after having passed out at the edge of the river that ran with the northern border of the town, that Thea woke up with a pounding head. The sensation of water sprinkling on her face was the reason for her premature waking. At first she thought that it had started to rain but her assumption was promptly corrected when she opened her groggy and tired silver eyes. Her vision wavered but not before she was able to make out a hand that was in front of her face, dripping with water.

When she was able to gain enough energy lift her head back to see whose hand it was, she realized that her head lay in that someone's lap.

"What, please tell me, made you be so stupid as to fall asleep in the open, when you know very well that renegades are still roaming these woods?"

At the sound of the prince's angry voice, Thea shot up into a sitting position that she regretted immediately, for her head was not in favor of that particular movement. It took a moment before the dark clouds cleared out of her eyes and she could dimly see Jason's face. Twilight had ascended upon the land while she was in the land of the oblivious.

"Where?" was all that she was able to get out of her chapped lips. It took her a moment but her mind soon answered the question for her. She remembered running and then coming across the river. It had been about 10 in the morning at the time and having pushed herself beyond her limits and without a morsel of food she had quickly succumbed to the darkness that insisted on temporary possession of her mind. It seems she had been unconscious four about eight hours.

"Here drink this"

The prince handed her a flask of brandy that had immediate soothing effects on her muddled mind. "Now answer my question, Why are you sleeping out here?"

"If you must know I wasn't sleeping, I overworked myself a little." with that she made a attempt of standing up, but failed miserably. The prince, having caught her in her descent toward the ground, picked her and carrying her toward his patiently waiting stallion. "I am not even going to comment on such folly" he mumbled as he mounted up behind her and kicked his mount towards Forbidden Fortress. She didn't hear what he had mumbled loud enough for her to hear, because she had already fallen back into a peaceful state of oblivion.

When she next woke up, Thea was aware of the her soft bed beneath her and also she was aware of the people that were quietly conversing around her. Her eyes opened slowly to identify the quiet voices belonging to the price, Gabi, Pete, Alanna, Lance and the King. She heard Pete telling them about how this happens every year but he could not tell them because it is you to her to tell who she wants.

Prince Jason was the first to notice that she was awake and he quickly directed Pete's attention to her. Pete made his way slowly to her side and said "Again?"

"Ease off Petey, you didn't doubt it would happen for a second"

"Well I had hoped. And I think it's about time that you tell them, I mean you can't keep running from your past."

Thea looked down at her forest green bed cover, her eyes a deep brown of sadness.

"I don't know if I can Pete"

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Sorry its been a while but my computer's mother board blew so i had to wait awhile.and sry its short but i don't have much time these days Enjoy 


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